Thursday, July 12, 2012

The GOP controlled House of Representatives has voted for the 33rd time to repeal - the constitutionally upheld - Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare). Votes on jobs bills - ZERO.

You'd figure that with Congressional approval ratings fluctuating around the mid-teens, and more people holding Republicans at fault than Democrats (which fare only a little better) for the paralyzing polarization in Congress, creating jobs would be the top priority. But the GOP seems to be more concerned about scoring political points than helping people score a job.

I came across a blog posting highlighting a new proposal by Senate Democrats that looks very promising. The blog, VeracityStew.com, has a story on the Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act that according to some estimates "could generate almost a million jobs nationwide, with over 630 thousand jobs for small businesses alone,..."

One of the main features of the bill is a 10% tax break for either raising wages for current employees or hiring new ones. Another is extending the 100% depreciation deduction. This appears to be a good proposal, so why not work with Democrats to pass some meaningful job growth legislation?

If Republicans want to win the public perception war with Democrats, it would be in their best interest to start voting on legislation that either helps create the right economic conditions for job growth, or helping people land a good paying job.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

After more than a two month absence from the blogosphere, Off K Street is back. We've been more focused on our Facebook page for stirring the pot and posting articles for discussion. But this will only take the discussion and voice of this blog so far. From this point forward we'll be making every effort to make regular posts, and if possible, to expand beyond by contributing original content and first person perspective.

The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a poll from June 28 - 30, after the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Affordable Care Act, that clearly states what the American public wants to happen from this point forward - its time to move on. While reading through the top sheet of a poll is sometimes very wonkish, there are some very interesting tidbits to glean. Here's the link to the poll.

Of particular interest are questions #9 and #10. On the question of what opponents of the law should do, 56% of respondents say opponents of the law should "stop their efforts to block the law and move on to other national problems."

On the question of what would you like to see Congress do when it comes to the health care law, the number to "Expand" or "Keep it" have been consistently 50% or higher since February of 2011.

Despite Republican assertions that the majority of Americans don't like the law and want it repealed, there also been a pretty consistent 15 to 16 percent of liberals that don't like it because it doesn't go far enough, meaning that the majority of Americans have always been on the other side of keeping "Obamacare".

In the minds of a majority of Americans, this issue is settled. If anything, they would like to see the law improved, not repealed or replaced with a Republican alternative.

Links of Interest

About Off K Street

K Street in Washington, D.C. is home to a large number of corporate and industry financed Think Tanks and powerful Lobbying Firms. It's the center of political power and influence in our country. Concerned about the disproportionate influence that special interest have on public policy at the Federal, State, and Local levels of government, Off K Street began as a personal blog to highlight the disconnect between the political powerbrokers in our nation's capital and state legislatures and the public at-large.

Off K Street aspires to be an alternative information source that is responsible and intellectually honest by promoting a spirited, but civil, conversation across a diverse range of communities. This will entail an investigative and analytical approach to a wide range of issues, with a mixture of citizen journalism and commentary.

Off K Street will strive to hold all sides of an issue accountable for their positions and statements, and will agressively challenge the misinformation, misconceptions, and fear perpetrated by individuals and institutions with extremist political agendas outside the mainstream that promote intolerance and marginalization.

I welcome ideas or suggetions for topics of discussion. I also encourage lively, but respectful, debate and discussion.

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